"If you are a fugitive, you do not have a residence, is that right?" Amy asked as the two of them walked down a road to a city called Cepheus.
"I do have one. It is unknown to anyone else around here, as it isn't near any city or village." Raphael replied.
"Did you build it yourself?"
"No, I came across it on my way to your town. I looked through some papers I found in the foyer, and it seems a previous owner had been poisoned, and the next simply left, never to return."
"Do you think he will ever come back?"
"The date of the letters was over four years ago, and the house looked as if it had been that long since anyone had been in it. I do not think we have anything to be worried about."
Suddenly, Raphael veered off of the beaten path towards a clump of ugly-looking bushes. They had olive-brown leaves in half-moon shapes. "What are you doing?"
"I am gathering some of these plants."
"Those vile things? Why?" Amy followed Raphael off the path.
"Vile indeed, on the surface." Raphael came to the nearest bush and pulled it up, revealing thick, dark blue roots. "But underground, where the light has never touched, the plant is a very potent herb, used for energy and vitality."
Amy was impressed. "How do you know these things?"
"When I was growing up, I learned extensively about two things: Swordplay, and medicine. I know all about the poisons used in the different Houses; The plant it comes from, its smell, its taste, even how it feels as it wracks your insides. I also know how to treat them, which is in part why I stand here now. You are the other part, of course," Raphael again acknowledged the reason for his continued existence before continuing: "But my most useful wealth of information comes from herbs, and their properties." Raphael took out a large leather pouch that was hanging at his side and put as many of the roots as he could into it. "Here." He tossed one to Amy. "We haven't eaten since we left Esanti, and you must be hungry by now."
"Yes, very." Amy examined the dark blue root as Raphael took a bite out of his own.
"Hmm, these are a little tough. These plants must be very old."
Amy took a tenuous bite of the plant, and was surprised at its sweet taste. "This is good."
"Navras, is its name."
"'Navras'?" Amy said when she had swallowed her second mouthful. "How does this plant come to get such a peculiar name?"
"Navras is actually an old Latin song, and that is why it is named." Raphael sang part of the song. "'Asato ma sad gamaya, Asato ma sad gamaya; Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya..' From delusion, lead me to truth, from darkness lead me to light."
"From the ugliness of its outward appearance, lead me to its inner beauty?" Amy extrapolated, and Raphael nodded.
"You're quite the bright child."
"Thank you. My parents were always telling me stories, teaching me how the world worked from a very early age."
"It shows." Raphael complimented, as they walked back to the path.
"If we are on our way to Cepheus although our main destination is your mansion, is it safe to say that it is more than a day away?"
"Right again. The journey is nearer to two days, even from Cepheus, the nearest populated area. We need to stock up on more supplies and get a night's rest just to make it the rest of the way, but when we are there we will be fine. It seems the last owner kept a large stock of imperishables, enough wine to more than satisfy half of Benetsasch, and there is a lake nearby for water."
Amy's expression lightened at the mention of the lake, and Raphael noticed it. "You are fond of the water?"
"Yes, I always have been. When I needed some time to think, I always went out to a pond near my house and stared out into the water. Before you came, a lot had been troubling me, and it seems I was there every day."
"That is where you found the Phoenixes' Tail, I imagine."
Amy was surprised Raphael knew this. "Yes, but how did you..."
"Elementary, my dear water nymph. Phoenixes' Tail, despite its firey namesake, needs more water than most plants, and so prefers to grow near bodies of water."
"Now you are showing off." Amy said with a smile, and Raphael returned it as they continued on their journey to Cepheus.
---
"I'll give you 32 for it."
"Thirty-two silver shillings for all this rice?" The merchant looked at Raphael as if he was some grotesque creature. "Rice is scarce in these parts, you know. I simply cannot part with it for less than 50 without taking a loss."
"Really? Is that why I've seen four other merchants in this bazaar alone advertising for 35? Very well, one of them shall receive my business and not you. Good day." Raphael and Amy walked away from the shop.
After a few seconds, the merchant changed his mind. "Wait, wait!"
Raphael stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oui?"
The man sighed, then said "32 shillings."
"30."
"I--you... fine." The man said defeatedly, and Raphael walked back.
"I thank you for letting me do business." He said, and picked up the sack of rice, handing a handful of coins to the man.
"You are good at bargaining." Amy commented as they walked away from the shop.
"When one has no income, one must learn quickly."
"I would imagine. You said you were running from the nobles who you stopped an assassination from? Does your family have many enemies?"
"As does any House. My family rarely has allies due in part to the fact that most of us keep any and all emotion private, and outward have an... unapproachable appearance."
"You do not seem so."
"Ah, but I have reason to show emotion, for I still marvel at my life being handed back to me. It's a bit of a spiral with my house, in that we have no outward emotions, so we don't have allies; but, since we don't have allies, we have nobody to share emotion with."
"How long has that been going on?"
"Oh, since any of our clan can remember." Raphael turned, and Amy only then noticed they were at the next shop.
Raphael examined some of the fruits, vegetables and plants the merchant was offering, and when he laid his eyes on one particular root he asked "Is this fresh?"
"Yes, just came in a couple of days ago. You're interested in it?" The old merchant replied.
"Fine. How much?"
"100 silver shillings."
Raphael's demeanor turned almost demonic for a fraction of a second, then the business-like expression returned. "80."
"Ah, but I noticed how quickly you inquired about it. You are a healer?"
"I know about the craft."
"Then you know of its properties, and that proves my theory. You would be willing to pay a lot more for this."
Raphael was about to agree with the lady when Amy spoke up. "Wait."
The merchant turned to examine the young girl. "Yes? You have some trinket to bargain?"
"In your shop, you sell many fine herbs and fruit, but I'd argue not all of them do what you say they do."
The merchant raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"I propose that, for the offered price of 80 silver shillings, we in turn sell you a lock of my hair."
"And what good would that do?"
"Tell me, have you seen anything like it before?"
"No, I can't say I haven't."
"Then do you think your customers have either? Imagine the kinds of properties you could make up for something totally unknown to all that pass by!"
The lady thought this over for a few seconds. "Deal." She brought a dagger up to Amy's head and sliced off some of her hair.
"Pleasure doing business." Raphael said, traces of joy in his voice, as he handed over the money, picked up the roots, and left the shop. "It seems you are also a good bargainer."
"When one has no income, one must learn quickly." Amy said with a laugh. "What is it about that root that has you so interested?"
"It is known as Magnucius, and posesses the unique ability to focus one's mind, so they can concentrate on a task for a long period of time. I am overjoyed that I have found it, as it has proven very useful in the past."
"Focusing one's mind. Yes, that would be quite the useful herb."
"It, like Phoenixes' Tail, also enjoyes the water, and so with one of these roots I could grow a crop of them near the lake."
"You can do that with just the root?"
"Magnucius is unique in its ability to regenerate fully from any one part, whether it be leaf, stem or root. It is quite the remarkable plant."
"That it is. do we need anything else? It is getting late, and the sun is already halfway to setting."
"No, we have all we need. A good rest is all that this city has left to offer us."
"I do have one. It is unknown to anyone else around here, as it isn't near any city or village." Raphael replied.
"Did you build it yourself?"
"No, I came across it on my way to your town. I looked through some papers I found in the foyer, and it seems a previous owner had been poisoned, and the next simply left, never to return."
"Do you think he will ever come back?"
"The date of the letters was over four years ago, and the house looked as if it had been that long since anyone had been in it. I do not think we have anything to be worried about."
Suddenly, Raphael veered off of the beaten path towards a clump of ugly-looking bushes. They had olive-brown leaves in half-moon shapes. "What are you doing?"
"I am gathering some of these plants."
"Those vile things? Why?" Amy followed Raphael off the path.
"Vile indeed, on the surface." Raphael came to the nearest bush and pulled it up, revealing thick, dark blue roots. "But underground, where the light has never touched, the plant is a very potent herb, used for energy and vitality."
Amy was impressed. "How do you know these things?"
"When I was growing up, I learned extensively about two things: Swordplay, and medicine. I know all about the poisons used in the different Houses; The plant it comes from, its smell, its taste, even how it feels as it wracks your insides. I also know how to treat them, which is in part why I stand here now. You are the other part, of course," Raphael again acknowledged the reason for his continued existence before continuing: "But my most useful wealth of information comes from herbs, and their properties." Raphael took out a large leather pouch that was hanging at his side and put as many of the roots as he could into it. "Here." He tossed one to Amy. "We haven't eaten since we left Esanti, and you must be hungry by now."
"Yes, very." Amy examined the dark blue root as Raphael took a bite out of his own.
"Hmm, these are a little tough. These plants must be very old."
Amy took a tenuous bite of the plant, and was surprised at its sweet taste. "This is good."
"Navras, is its name."
"'Navras'?" Amy said when she had swallowed her second mouthful. "How does this plant come to get such a peculiar name?"
"Navras is actually an old Latin song, and that is why it is named." Raphael sang part of the song. "'Asato ma sad gamaya, Asato ma sad gamaya; Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya..' From delusion, lead me to truth, from darkness lead me to light."
"From the ugliness of its outward appearance, lead me to its inner beauty?" Amy extrapolated, and Raphael nodded.
"You're quite the bright child."
"Thank you. My parents were always telling me stories, teaching me how the world worked from a very early age."
"It shows." Raphael complimented, as they walked back to the path.
"If we are on our way to Cepheus although our main destination is your mansion, is it safe to say that it is more than a day away?"
"Right again. The journey is nearer to two days, even from Cepheus, the nearest populated area. We need to stock up on more supplies and get a night's rest just to make it the rest of the way, but when we are there we will be fine. It seems the last owner kept a large stock of imperishables, enough wine to more than satisfy half of Benetsasch, and there is a lake nearby for water."
Amy's expression lightened at the mention of the lake, and Raphael noticed it. "You are fond of the water?"
"Yes, I always have been. When I needed some time to think, I always went out to a pond near my house and stared out into the water. Before you came, a lot had been troubling me, and it seems I was there every day."
"That is where you found the Phoenixes' Tail, I imagine."
Amy was surprised Raphael knew this. "Yes, but how did you..."
"Elementary, my dear water nymph. Phoenixes' Tail, despite its firey namesake, needs more water than most plants, and so prefers to grow near bodies of water."
"Now you are showing off." Amy said with a smile, and Raphael returned it as they continued on their journey to Cepheus.
---
"I'll give you 32 for it."
"Thirty-two silver shillings for all this rice?" The merchant looked at Raphael as if he was some grotesque creature. "Rice is scarce in these parts, you know. I simply cannot part with it for less than 50 without taking a loss."
"Really? Is that why I've seen four other merchants in this bazaar alone advertising for 35? Very well, one of them shall receive my business and not you. Good day." Raphael and Amy walked away from the shop.
After a few seconds, the merchant changed his mind. "Wait, wait!"
Raphael stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oui?"
The man sighed, then said "32 shillings."
"30."
"I--you... fine." The man said defeatedly, and Raphael walked back.
"I thank you for letting me do business." He said, and picked up the sack of rice, handing a handful of coins to the man.
"You are good at bargaining." Amy commented as they walked away from the shop.
"When one has no income, one must learn quickly."
"I would imagine. You said you were running from the nobles who you stopped an assassination from? Does your family have many enemies?"
"As does any House. My family rarely has allies due in part to the fact that most of us keep any and all emotion private, and outward have an... unapproachable appearance."
"You do not seem so."
"Ah, but I have reason to show emotion, for I still marvel at my life being handed back to me. It's a bit of a spiral with my house, in that we have no outward emotions, so we don't have allies; but, since we don't have allies, we have nobody to share emotion with."
"How long has that been going on?"
"Oh, since any of our clan can remember." Raphael turned, and Amy only then noticed they were at the next shop.
Raphael examined some of the fruits, vegetables and plants the merchant was offering, and when he laid his eyes on one particular root he asked "Is this fresh?"
"Yes, just came in a couple of days ago. You're interested in it?" The old merchant replied.
"Fine. How much?"
"100 silver shillings."
Raphael's demeanor turned almost demonic for a fraction of a second, then the business-like expression returned. "80."
"Ah, but I noticed how quickly you inquired about it. You are a healer?"
"I know about the craft."
"Then you know of its properties, and that proves my theory. You would be willing to pay a lot more for this."
Raphael was about to agree with the lady when Amy spoke up. "Wait."
The merchant turned to examine the young girl. "Yes? You have some trinket to bargain?"
"In your shop, you sell many fine herbs and fruit, but I'd argue not all of them do what you say they do."
The merchant raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"I propose that, for the offered price of 80 silver shillings, we in turn sell you a lock of my hair."
"And what good would that do?"
"Tell me, have you seen anything like it before?"
"No, I can't say I haven't."
"Then do you think your customers have either? Imagine the kinds of properties you could make up for something totally unknown to all that pass by!"
The lady thought this over for a few seconds. "Deal." She brought a dagger up to Amy's head and sliced off some of her hair.
"Pleasure doing business." Raphael said, traces of joy in his voice, as he handed over the money, picked up the roots, and left the shop. "It seems you are also a good bargainer."
"When one has no income, one must learn quickly." Amy said with a laugh. "What is it about that root that has you so interested?"
"It is known as Magnucius, and posesses the unique ability to focus one's mind, so they can concentrate on a task for a long period of time. I am overjoyed that I have found it, as it has proven very useful in the past."
"Focusing one's mind. Yes, that would be quite the useful herb."
"It, like Phoenixes' Tail, also enjoyes the water, and so with one of these roots I could grow a crop of them near the lake."
"You can do that with just the root?"
"Magnucius is unique in its ability to regenerate fully from any one part, whether it be leaf, stem or root. It is quite the remarkable plant."
"That it is. do we need anything else? It is getting late, and the sun is already halfway to setting."
"No, we have all we need. A good rest is all that this city has left to offer us."